Lionel Messi scores in final Argentina appearance as Inter Miami star bows out from international football
Lionel Messi scored on his final appearance for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Benin as the star bowed out of international football. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who announced his retirement from international football after losing the World Cup final, was invited to play in the friendly to celebrate his career, with all his teammates from Argentina's triumphant 2022 World Cup squad also invited.
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, the 39-year-old ends his international career with 208 senior caps, the most of any player in the team's history, with his 126 goals for Argentina also a record. He is the only player in footballing history to start three World Cup finals.
Stories Videos Your Say Messi had been threatened with being upstaged by another departing Argentina player, 38-year-old centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, when the latter opened the scoring shortly after half-time, with Nico Paz adding a second. Inevitably Messi had the final word, firing a spot-kick into the roof of the net with 20 minutes remaining to sign off his remarkable international career in style.
Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou denied Messi after seven minutes, before the visitors almost took a shock lead when Aiyegun Tosin volleyed wide. Messi turned a cross narrowly wide midway through the first half and again missed the target in the 33rd minute.
Lionel Messi has retired from international football Emi Martinez denied Junior Olaitan before the break, and three minutes after the interval, Otamendi fired home after Benin failed to clear a Messi corner. Dandjinou kept out an Enzo Fernandez header before Paz doubled Argentina's lead from the edge of the area in the 61st minute.
Messi's moment came 10 minutes later when Tamimou Ouorou's clumsy challenge on Agustin Giay resulted in a penalty, which the Inter Miami forward blasted into the top corner for his 126th and last international goal. Dandjinou denied Leonel Flores late on before Messi bid the crowd an emotional goodbye at full-time.
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In his statement, Messi wrote: "I love, loved, and will always love being on the National Team. I've given everything I have; I have nothing more to give, and besides, there are some great young players coming up behind me who deserve to be there.
Messiinsisted he had always committed himself fully to the cause, not merely during Argentina's trophy-laden recent years, adding: I swear that I always gave my all, not just in the last few years when we won everything, but before that too." Lionel Messi completed football back in 2022 Messi's international trophy cabinet is extraordinary in its breadth.